Tattooing devices are well known in the prior art, including tattooing devices for performing a tattoo on an animal. Typically, such tattooing devices include a motor housing and a needle housing secured thereto, with the motor housing having an eccentic drive structure mounted therein, and with the needle housing having a needle shaft and a tattooing needle mounted therein to be reciprocated by the eccentric drive structure. Although such tattooing devices are generally satisfactory, there have been a number of problems and drawbacks experienced with these devices which could be improved upon. For example, such devices are extremely noisy and when performing a tattoo on an animal, the loud noise actually frightens the animal and makes it restless, so that it is much more difficult to perform the tattoo. It has been found that this noise is caused by a number of factors, including the manner in which the motor is mounted, lateral or transverse movement and play in the eccentric drive structure, and transverse movement of the reciprocating needle causing it to engage the sidewalls of the needle housing which creates additional noise. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a tattooing device which substantially reduces such noise and provides a quieter operation.
In addition, in such prior art tattooing devices, the transverse movement of the reciprocating needle also causes tearing of the skin during the performance of the tattoo. Of course, such skin tearing is painful, and it would also be beneficial if this problem could be eliminated or substantially reduced. Also, the transverse movement and/or play in the reciprocating needle also causes the splattering of ink during the performance of the tattoo and also blurs the tattoo lines which are made so that there is a lack of line clarity in the tattoo. Accordingly, it would also be desirable to provide an improved tattooing device which has improved line clarity and which does not splatter ink during the performance of the tattoo.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved tattooing device which overcomes one or more of the aforesaid problems. Specifically, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a tattooing device which is constructed so as to substantially reduce transverse movement of the reciprocating tattoo needle and thereby substantially reduce noise, ink splatter, and the tearing of skin while performing the tattoo, as well as improving line clarity of the tattoo.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved tattooing device which includes novel features to prevent or substantially reduce transverse movement of the reciprocating needle and the problems caused thereby.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved tattooing device which can be turned on and off while being held with only one hand during the performance of a tattoo.